Scrapbook OBSESSION Blog.com

Memory Works: Pink Paislee “Amber Road” in Stock!

Scrapbook ObsessionUpdated on September 2, 2009September 2, 2009

If you’ve been waiting for the Amber Road line from PINK PAISLEE to become available, I’ve got great news for you….I can get you summa’ that! I’m a consultant for MEMORY WORKS scrapbooking and we now carry this line. And here ’tis….

PINK PAISLEE Amber Road
Theme Set $5.50
4 sheets of double-sided patterned paper
1 sheet of shaped paper
1 sheet of double-sided postcards
{This is all the papers in the line; you won’t be missing any…}

Order it HERE

PINK PAISLEE Amber Road
Border Line clear stickers $3.00
Apx. 12″ in length

Order them HERE

PINK PAISLEE Amber Road
Brads $4.00
12 count, measure 5/8″

Order them HERE

PINK PAISLEE Amber Road
Patches $3.50
(3) lightweight canvas tags
Each patch measures approximately 3.5″ x 5.5.” Patches can be applied using brads, eyelets, stitching, or any adhesive.

Order them HERE

PINK PAISLEE Amber Road
Press Ons $4.00
1 sheet of rub-ons (4.25″ x 8.25″)

Order the rub-ons HERE

PINK PAISLEE Amber Road
Punch Outs $2.50
(18) die cut shapes/tags

Order them HERE

PINK PAISLEE Amber Road
Impressions clear stamps $5.00
(7) acrylic stamps
Measures 4″x4″

Order them HERE

PINK PAISLEE Amber Road
Cardstock alphabet, Pear $2.00

Order this alpha HERE

I can’t believe the clear stamps are only 5 bucks! And look at all the alphas you get for only $2. That “pear” looks like a very versatile color, too. My faves from this line: The shaped paper, the gorgeous brads, the clear border stickers, and all those die cut shapes. But it’s all so pretty. I like that it’s a non-traditional look at Fall and Thanksgiving scrapbooking…not your typical oranges, yellows, and browns but instead subtle reds, greens, and creams. You could even use much of this line for Christmas…the pieces that aren’t theme-specific. Cool! I LOVE double-duty! And that old-fashioned look is so appealing and different.

This is my favorite part of this line…the paper and embellies featuring this cool apple blossom tree…

So, if you’d like to place an order, click on one of the above links, which take you straight to the item on my own Memory Works WEBSITE. More instructions are HERE.

If you have any questions about placing a Memory Works order with me, please don’t hesitate to ask. We carry lots of other great products ~ not just Pink Paislee :) All the products rolling in from CHA are amazing. So far, we’ve got (click on each name to shop or browse):

BO BUNNY – Delilah, Kitchen Spice, Flutter Butter, Boo Crew, Tis the Season, and St. Nick (I blogged about all of it HERE)

COSMO CRICKET – Earth Love, The Boyfriend, and Jolly by Golly

DREAM STREET – Nature’s Poetry, Sam, and Urban Ink

JENNI BOWLIN – Town Square, Front Porch, Calendar Cards, Bingo Cards, Mini Bingo Cards, Chipboard Buttons, and Memo Books

MY MINDS EYE – Abby Road, Boo to You, Colorful Christmas

PEBBLES, INC. – Lil Buddy, Lil Miss, Skipping Along, So Tweet, Chips glittered chipboard, ribbon sets, Ribbon Iron, and Candy Dots

SCRAP WITHIN REACH – Paper Boy, Carnival Ride, Industrial Park, and Afternoon Tea

THREE BUGS in a RUG – To the Rescue, Spread Your Wings, Simple Pleasures, and Let It Snow.

WE R MEMORY KEEPERS – MVP

Coming Soon: New Basic Grey, Doodlebug, Fancy Pants, and Sassafrass! I’ll let you know when it’s in stock :)

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How to Order Memory Works from My Site & How to Become a Consultant

Scrapbook ObsessionUpdated on September 2, 2009September 2, 2009

If you’d like to place an order, here is my own Memory Works WEBSITE. Click on “New Customer? Start here” and register as a customer, put your item(s) in your shopping cart, and submit your order. I’ll get an e-mail right way that your order is pending, and I’ll contact you regarding your payment preference. If it’s Paypal, I’ll e-mail ya an invoice and as soon as you pay it, your order is submitted for processing. If you prefer to pay by check, once it’s received and cleared on my end, your order is submitted for processing. From there, Memory Works fills your order and mails it within 1 business day (yes, 1!). It’s shipped directly to you lickety split!

If you have questions about becoming a Memory Works Consultant, please click on I’M A MEMORY WORKS CONSULTANT here or above right, and I’ll get you whatever kinda 411 you need. You can do anything from buying things for yourself at discount to selling only to your friends to become a Mega Rock Star Consultant, hosting parties and crops to your hearts content. Me, I’m kinda between options 2 and 3, LOL!. I sell to myself, I sell to friends, and I host a crop once in a while. I earn a little extra money so I can spend on scrappy stuff without feeling guilty for impacting the family budget. And I can’t believe I’m earning money selling something I love so much….scrap stuff! It’s a win-win, baby! So, yeah, give me a shout at the e-mail listed and I’ll tell you anything you need to know.

** If you do end up signing up as a consultant, PLEEEEEZ enter another consultant’s ID number when you do. That consultant receives a $10 to 15 product credit for referring you, allowing them to invest in products for their business. I’m not saying it has to be MY consultant number…although I’d love it if it was…but seriously, enter the number of a friends or whoever helped you decide to do Memory Works. It’s a shame to let such a substantial product credit go to waste, don’t you think?

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“The History of Scrapbooking” as told by the layout…

Scrapbook Obsession September 1, 2009September 1, 2009

Just wanted to share this amazing layout I saw on 2peas by FlowerFlora from Athens, Greece.

I’m just stunned by this layout. The intricacy, the historical fact, the sheer artistry. Anyone who thinks it’s “just scrapbooking” should look at this piece. Personally, I think it belongs in a museum….

This amazing artist’s 2peas gallery is HERE. You can see close-ups of everything, and read all the journaling. HERE is her blog…it’s all written in Greek, which is fun to look at in itself, not to mention her body of work! Like her “Life is a Tree,” for example…

Did I mention she does STUNNING work????

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Crop Report and Michaels Coupon News

Scrapbook ObsessionUpdated on August 31, 2009August 31, 2009

Just wanted to tell you about the crop I went to on Saturday. It was a lot of fun and I got 9 pages done in about 11 hours. That might be a record, LOL. Granted, I need to add the journaling on most of the layouts so they’re not complete quite yet. The crop was from 9 to 9 and I said I was going to get there right at 9, to take full advantage of my crop fee….cuz I’m stingy like that. However, I didn’t end up leaving the house until 9, then went to Michaels and Starbucks on the way (which were both right down the street from the crop).

At Michaels, I learned two things from the employees while I was there. 1. The beading area (at least at our store) is expanding, and 2. No more Michaels coupons via Sunday paper flyers. Yes, I’m bolding that…it’s big news!

So I was cruising the scrapbooking area, looking for something worthy of my 40% coupon, and coming up dry at that point. I went to look in the center aisle sections, desperately trying to find the load of new Sassafrass product “mah people” told me was at Mike’s these days (no luck). The next aisle from scrapbooking is beading and there were two employees resetting the aisle. I said, “Hi” and one of them asked if they could help me find anything. I meant to ask about the Sassafrass but my eyes were blinded by the dizzying array of new beads they were hanging. Like, row upon row upon row of beads! My jaw dropped and she goes, “Yeah, we’re expanding to three aisles.” I said, “I used to make beaded jewelry but stopped for scrapbooking. Maybe I’ll have to get into it again!” and we laughed. Then I said, “You know, I’d better just not look,” and she said, “Yeah, bead shopping is pretty addicting.” She paused and said, “And I hear scrapbook shopping can be pretty addicting, too. Is that right?” I said, “Oh, you don’t know the half of it!!” And we all laughed. I complimented them on all the new scrapbook stuff they’ve been getting and told them to keep it coming. {I realize they’re employees, not buyers, but it never hurts to put in a good word, right?}.

I ended up grabbing a paper pad from We R Memory Keepers with sport stuff, called “MVP,” for $12 instead of $20. I would link you the whole line on the WRMK site, but I couldn’t find it there. Gotta’ say, I’m not a big fan of their website, the way it’s organized and the lack of information. But I copied this from an online retailer.

When I was checking out, the cashier told me that Michaels would no longer have ads in the Sunday paper, and that coupons would be strictly from the mailing list/website. She gave me a cute flyer explaining how to get on the mailing list, and I told her I was already on it, so I’m good to go. I asked her why did she think they were doing that, and she assumed it was due to cost, but had not been told that. So, more things changing due to the economy, I guess. I enjoy looking through the Michaels ad on Sunday mornings, along with Target and a few others, while I drink my coffee. Then I go right to the cupboard for my scissors, cut the coupon out, and stick it in my purse. So now my routine will change and I’ll have to remember to print the coupon out from the computer, but whatevs. I’m cool with it. Can’t blame them for having to stop the ads; they must be really expensive when you imagine ALL the newspapers they’re in. Some Canadian Peas said they’re doing the same thing up there. I do wonder if it’s a good business move though, don’t you? Do you think having the ad right there in your paper entices crafters and non-crafters alike to buy when they normally wouldn’t? I mean, you and I who are computer savvy (and on this dang thing all the time) have no problem just getting on their e-mail list and checking the ad online. But what about Nancy Sue in Kalamazoo who browses her Sunday ads, sees silk trees or Christmas decor on sale at Michaels, and thinks, “Oh, that’s a good price. I should go check that place out.” KWIM? Without the ad, I could see Michaels losing a lot of business. Anyway, us Mike’s freaks can view the weekly ad and sign up to receive printable coupons via e-mail HERE.

So, I left Mike’s, grabbed my sugar-free latte from StarCrack’s….erm, I mean…Starbucks, and got to the crop by about 10. There ended up being nine of us there. The hostess gave me a goodie bag with 3 sheets of Scenic Route 12×12 paper, all of which I ended up using on a “Back to Skool” 2-pager. The hostess had some things for sale (I bought 2 packs of Thickers….finally found one pack I’d been looking for….some Daisy D rub-ons, and a few other things).

There was a Creative Memories rep there taking catalog orders and I spoke to her about getting the new crop bags that are coming out….have you seen them? OMG! So so so cute! The whole set is black and white with a subtle daisy design and the interior of all the bags are pink polka dots. I love having a light-colored interior as it’s easier to find things. I can’t find a photo online or I would show you. I’ll go on and on about these bags in another post when I can find a photo of them. But I told the CMC that I was going to ask for the large bag (like an XXL) and a couple others for Christmas from my mom and DH. The bags I have were purchased piece meal. They’re old and they don’t match…some black, some navy, some blue. I got her card and will contact her when the time comes.

There was also a crop friend there selling Memory Works. She is a really sweet lady I’d met before through the crop hostess. We got to commiserate about being Memory Works Consultants and compare notes, so it was great. She had some Scrapbook Trends magazines (well, they’re like books really) for sale for $8; I think they’re usually $15. I don’t ever buy ST because it’s so dang expensive plus ~ I guess I’m a weirdo ~ but I like the ads so an “ad free” magazine isn’t a good thing to me, LOL! But I bought this issue called, “TrendSetters” which showcases 15 top scrapbookers; it’s from 2006. I love reading profiles of scrappers and seeing their work.

I couldn’t find this issue on the SCRAPBOOK TRENDS website but an online retailer sells it for about $14 (discounted), so I did get a good deal.

So, shopping and cropping all day. Couldn’t have had a better day if I tried. Hope you got some scrappy time this weekend as well. What do you think about the disappearance of Michaels ads in the Sunday paper?

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Friday Night Scrapbook Randoms #1

Scrapbook ObsessionUpdated on August 29, 2009August 28, 2009

I always seem to be feeling pretty “random” by Friday night. I’ve usually seen little things throughout the week that I want to share with you, but don’t have time to do a whole post about them or whatever. So I’m going to start posting “Friday Night Scrapbook Randoms”, okay? It’ll be a big ol’ mosh pit of scrap stuff. It might be slightly dangerous and somewhat crazy, but I want you to just dive in and don’t expect perfection, yeah? Cool.

I found some cool things on SARA’s blog; she’s a Pea! I totally love the name of her blog: “Yeah, Like I Have TIme for This.” She had me at hello.

So first, check out her cool and fast solution for doing her vacation albums HERE. I’ve been meaning to do an album like that, with the 4×6 photo pages embellished with mats and things, but still haven’t gotten around to it. Her projects are wonderful inspiration, don’t you think?

Also, I stole this fun little survey from Sara HERE, and completed it for myself. Would love it if you took the survey on your blog, and shared a link with us!

FOR TODAY August 28th, 2009

Outside my window…it’s dark, hot, and still.
I am thinking…about how I should get to bed…have to get up early tomorrow..
I am thankful for…a wonderful dinner tonight, then the company of our great friends and a nice glass of wine.
From the kitchen…beer butt chicken, grilled bread, and salad.
I am wearing…my ‘jamas.
I am creating…nothing lately…but tomorrow’s another story.
I am going…to print some photos and place a Memory Works order.
I am reading…”Becoming Chloe” by Catherine Ryan Hyde.
I am hoping…that I wake up on time tomorrow.
I am hearing…all the fans running in the house. It’s 11:15 and still hot.
Around the house…there is folded laundry that needs to be put away. Where is that darn maid!?! Oh, wait, that would be me…
One of my favorite things…quiet “me time” after everyone has gone to bed. {<- Love this answer, so I just copied Sara}.
A few plans for the rest of the week…working overtime, having kids' friends over to swim Sunday, cleaning house.

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One last thing: What do you think of this article, BLOGGING IS THE NEW SCRAPBOOKING…OR IS IT SCRAPBLOGGING? Other than this quote….

“Think about it … no blisters from the constant cropping of photos, no writers cramps from all those bubble letters…”

…I thought it was pretty good. Sorry, chickie, we don’t “constantly” crop photos or handwrite our bubble letters anymore. Well, I mean, you scrappers can if you WANT. Not that there’s anything WRONG with that. But most of us use Thickers and such, LOL. Also, she wrote it as “scrap booking,” making it into two words. But she had a good point, that the blogs of today can be seen as the scrapbooks of yesterday. A way to capture all those little, day-to-day details of our lives that might otherwise be forgotten.

ETA 8-29-09: The author of the article left a comment below….Thanks for stopping by, Kristy!

Alrighty then…I’m going to an all day crop tomorrow. Whoo to the hoo and all that shizzle! It’s the first time in 2 years (that I can remember anyway) that I’ve gone to a crop that I wasn’t either hosting or selling at. From 9am to 9pm, I’m just plain cropping, baby! Speaking of crops, HERE is my post about crops from 2peas today, and HERE is another one asking what do you do at a long crop?

So, was that all random enough for ya? What are your weekend scrappy plans?

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What Do Lisa Bearnson and “So You Think You Can Dance” Have in Common?

Scrapbook Obsession August 28, 2009August 28, 2009

Absolutely nothing except that they both have upcoming shows I’m excited about!

Okay, LISA BEARNSON…Nope, unfortunately she’s not on QVC SCRAPBOOKING anymore :( Btw, I REALLY miss her on that show, don’t you? The other hosts try really hard but they just don’t have Lisa’s superior knowledge of scrapbooking products and how to use them. Plus, I miss her playfulness with David Venable.

Here she is with one of her daughters showing their seat belt burns from an accident they were in recently ~ thank goodness they were okay! Something tells me that without those seat belts, they wouldn’t have been….

Anyhow, I found THIS show that she’s going to be on (September 2 and 9, 2009), if you happen to get BYU-TV. You may not think you do, but look through ALLLLLL your cable or satellite channel listings and you might find it. On my Dish Network, it’s on Channel 9403….yeah, it’s way down there. It’s the same channel where I watch SCRAPBOOK MEMORIES, which has some new 2009 episodes. I haven’t watched in a while because I kept getting reruns of older shows but today I checked and am recording an upcoming episode that says 2009. Yippee skip! Love that show…

Okay, back to Lisa. The show is called “Latter Day Profiles” and the info says, “The co-founder and editor of Creating Keepsakes scrapbooking magazine, Lisa Bearnson.” Info also tells me this show originally aired on 6-24-09, so it’s fairly recent. Let’s check it out and then come back and compare notes, okay?

While searching around for shows to record, I also found something for fans of SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE. On Wednesday, 9-2-09, Fox is showing a special episode with “fan fave routines from previous seasons.” The only bad thing is it’s a mere 1-hour long. WTH? I can’t wait to see it and hope they show some different routines than what were on the SYTYCD finale. There are SO many past routines I love. I could watch them over and over. Then the following Wednesday, September 9th, the new season of SYTYCD premieres, followed by the long-awaited second episode of GLEE! This is a show that won me over the first episode when they performed “Don’t Stop Believin’,” by Journey, my all time favorite band. {If you see me on the scrapbook message boards, I’m always “journey fan.”} Check out a Glee preview HERE; the Journey song starts around 2:45.

So, ya gonna try and catch Lisa B. and/or the SYTYCD episode?

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New Products at Michaels

Scrapbook ObsessionUpdated on August 26, 2009August 26, 2009

I’m so happy that Michaels is turning over their stock much more quickly than they used to. Just about every time I go into Mike’s, there is something new. Here are some photos of things that were new ~ to me at least. These photos were taken on my last few visits to Mike’s.

Making Memories alpha stickers
They had several colors. The font is cute and I love that there’s an little crystal on each letter.

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A bunch of new bling…

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Journaling tablet stickers by Die Cuts with a View. There were 5 different themes, like Travel, Love, and Family.

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Your eyes are not deceiving you…Those are Thickers @ Mike’s!! The choices are kind of slim so I hope they offer more style and colors in the future. Check out those red, yellow, and blue letter stickers. I swear those have been at Mike’s since 1996. C’mon, Mike’s, just toss them. If they haven’t sold in 13 years, they’re not going to sell now, LOL!

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I’m so bummed this photo didn’t come out! I wanted to show you all these cute little epoxy stickers by Recollections…arrows, flowers, and my favorite, rainclouds and raindrops.

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Blingetty bling bling!…

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I love this K&Co. album from the Cut ‘n Paste line. It’s pricey but maybe someday I can get it with a 40% or 50% off coupon. Yeah, yeah… a 50% coupon! When’s the next holiday?? Oh yeah, Labor Day is right around the corner…

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An overview of a lot of their new albums. The solid colored Recollections albums are on the top row. The ones below are so pretty/cool/cute; there are a couple albums there I would love to have.

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My Minds Eye paper stack, called “Complete Boy”

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My Minds Eye paper stack, called “Totally Girl”

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Cat’s Eye chalk inks ~ my ink of choice ~ and lots of Staz On inkpads.

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Brilliance “Dew Drops” ink pads and Tim Holtz Distress Inks in 6 colors! We’re big time now!

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Cute-alicious cupcake stamps…
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So, here is what I ended up with on trip #1: Some black Thickers. They are the puffy ones, black cursive font, called Rainboots. Also, a pack of American Crafts Slick Writers in black. I really only wanted the fine tip but they didn’t sell them separately in fine tip, only bold. Oh well, won’t hurt to have extra Slick Writers anyway. Used a 40% coupon on the pens.

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On trip #2, I got two of the Journal Stickers Tablets ~ Travel and Family, and some Recollections pearl bling strips in green and teal. Used a 40% coupon on one of the sticker books.

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Here’s one sheet of each of the Journal Sticker Tablets, just so you can see how cute they are. My Slick Writers will be perfect!

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I’m so impressed with Michaels lately. With the demise of so many LSS’s, maybe we’re giving them enough scrappy business to keep that part of the store going strong. I sure hope so….Mike’s is my main source for Scrap Crack….erm, I mean….scrap supplies. What new things have you seen or purchased at Mike’s lately?

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Just Helping Out A Scrap Friend…

Scrapbook ObsessionUpdated on August 25, 2009August 25, 2009

There is a sweet lady who posts on the All Moments Remembered message board, goes by the name of “tomocus.” She posted today asking for us to help her nephew win a survey, and I thought I’d pass it on. HERE is her post about her nephew, who was the first round draft pick for the Anaheim Angels Major League Baseball team.

The poll is to vote for the first round player who is off to the best start in the Minors. HERE is the link where you vote. The poll is on the bottom left of the screen and to vote for him, click No. 24 Randal Grichuk. When I voted a few minutes ago, he was in second place! But he was a ways behind the #1 guy, so SCRAPPERS UNITE! Let’s put him over the top and then his Auntie Tomocus can tell him we helped him win, LOL!

Like I said on the AMR thread, we are baseball nuts in our family and we really like the players who work hard, not just take everything for granted. Randal shows up for batting practice 3 hours early every day and is putting the older guys to shame. He’s missing his family in Texas but is overcoming some obstacles and doing very well. Our younger players need good role models like Randal.
{*Cough* MANNY RAMIREZ STEROID JERK *Cough*}
{And my LA Dodgers are stuck with him, ugh}.

Here are couple pictures I found of Randal, in case it motivates you to vote, LOL!

He’s a cutie! And, yes, I can say that because he IS street legal (age 18). {Please forgive me, Auntie Tomocus}. Go Randal! Ladies, I hope you will take just, literally, 10 seconds to go VOTE for him. Thanks!

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Can A Laptop Mouse Be Scrapbook-Related? You Betcha!

Scrapbook Obsession August 24, 2009August 24, 2009

I know, I know, I need to BLOG! It’s been too dang long. We went camping at the beach last week, and I spent the weekend recovering, LOL! Laundry, unpacking, etc. and then finalizing the school shopping, getting backpacks together, and, oh yeah, it seemed like a good time to shop for a new theme for our kids’/guest bathroom ‘cuz I didn’t have enough things on my plate {insert sarcasm here}.

Well, at Target the other night, I got some fun (non-SBR) stuff including a DVD of the classic movie ROMAN HOLIDAY…

that I’ve been dying to see ever since I read this novel, “ITALIAN FOR BEGINNERS” by Kristin Harmel….

SUCH a cool book! It was set in Rome, which is my favorite city EVAH! And it references “Roman Holiday,” which I can’t believe I’ve never seen. I could go on for days about how much I LURVE Rome (or Roma, as the Italians call it), how great this book was, or how I couldn’t put it down the entire time we were camping, but that would bore you to tears. Well, I put it down to play in the ocean and stuff but that’s about it. At Tar-Jay, I did NOT find a copy of the new Colbie Caillat “BREAKTHROUGH” CD I was planning to get; on sale for $10 vs. $14…shoot! They sold out by the time I got there.

Then in the computer aisle ~ where I debated whether I really need to lay out 30 bucks for a laptop cooler fan lap fan thingee (I mean, are they noisy or what?) ~ I saw this little cutie-patootie and had to have it…

Idn’t it little and key-ute! If I’d ordered from the LOGITECH website, it would’ve cost me about $36 with shipping, but at Target all it cost was $25 and the instant gratification was free, baby! This thing rocks. It’s Mac compatible. It’s small and has a little USB plug that pops into the bottom of the mouse when not plugged into your lappie. It’s a big improvement over my current wireless mouse that has a big white contraption with a cord that I have to drag around the house with me if I go mobile. Anyway, this little red mouse will be a great replacement. The scroll button not only goes up and down…it goes side to side! So totally rockin’!! And I adore the pretty red color. After seeing some other fancy ones on their website, like this….

…and this…

…I’m thinking I need to break out some rub-ons, maybe some Basic Grey or Fancy Pants swirly ones. What do you think…should I go for it? {See, a mouse CAN be scrapbook-related, LOL!}

Okay, well I’ve got to work tonight but I’ll start writing up some blog entries for later this week. I haven’t posted any shopping reports in a while, so I’ve got several to give ya’. And some other goodies, too. Stay tuned, homies!

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Memory Works: My Minds Eye Christmas Paper and Accessory Kit

Scrapbook Obsession August 21, 2009August 21, 2009

Sounds like another great deal to me! I already have one in my shopping cart before they run out.

MME: Christmas Paper and Accessory Kit
This My Mind’s Eye kit includes (20) 12×12 sheets of double-sided cardstock paper, plus over 40 mix and match accessory pieces.

Retail Price: $15.00
ON SALE Price: $8.75 (Save 42%)

I’m going to use this kit to make my 2009 Christmas cards. Get a jump on them and get started now, so I won’t be scrambling like I always am in December, LOL! If you’d like to order, instructions are HERE. Merry Christmas in August!!!

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45 Questions

Scrapbook Obsession August 21, 2009August 21, 2009

I found this fun survey HERE and decided to copy it.

1. What kind of soap is in your bathtub right now? Dove and Irish Spring

2. Do you have any watermelon in your refrigerator? No, but I wish I did. Had some at a BBQ yesterday and it was guuuud.

3. What would you change about your living room? I need new furniture in such a bad way! It’s old and faded, but at least it’s comfy.

4. Are the dishes in your dishwasher clean or dirty? Clean!

5. What is in your fridge? Milk, coffee beans, yogurt, leftover pork carnitas and tortillas, a bag of tomatoes, and lots more.

6. White or wheat bread? 100% whole wheat

7. What is on top of your refrigerator? Boxes of cereal and crackers

8. What color or design is on your shower curtain? In the master bath, nothing….there are doors. In the kids’/guest bathroom, it’s plain white. We’re getting ready to re-do the theme from police/fire to maps! Something to look at while you’re “occupied,” LOL.

9. How many plants are in your home? Six, I think. That I haven’t managed to kill. Yay me!

10. Is your bed made right now? Yep, I make ‘er every day.

11. Comet or Soft Scrub? Soft Scrub. Works great on my Corian kitchen sink.

12. Is your closet organized? Yes, but it’s full. I need to do some purging. And let’s not talk about my guest closet. (I totally copied this answer from JEN.)

13. Can you describe your flashlight? A big, black MagLite. It’s the one cops use. Don’t mess with me…I will hurt you. Really.

14. Do you drink out of glass or plastic most of the time at home? Plastic, unless it’s wine.

15. Do you have iced tea made in a pitcher right now? Two, actually ~ pomegranate and mango herb teas mixed with Lipton. Love it unsweetened with a buncha ice.

16. If you have a garage, is it cluttered? I like to call it organized chaos. It looks messy but there’s room for my car, and we know where to find stuff.

17. Curtains or blinds? Blinds in every room. I keep meaning to get at least some fabric valances, but I’m not very motivated. Just more things to dust.

18. How many pillows do you sleep with? Two or three.

19. Do you sleep with any lights on at night? Yes, I have to have a night light. I skerred of the dark! I also wake up during the night to check on everyone so I need to be able to see.

20. How often do you vacuum? Once or twice a week.

21. Standard toothbrush or electric? Standard.

22. What color is your toothbrush? Pink. Very cute, dahling..

23. Do you have a welcome mat on your front porch? We did but the puppy took off with it. See, he even looks guilty.

24. What is in your oven right now? Nothing.

25. Is there anything under your bed? Winter comforters in Space Bags. On DH’s side, his shoes. On my side, that huge MagLite/weapon I was telling you about.

26. Chore you hate doing the most? Anything having to do with the hardwood floors…dust bunny retrieval, sweeping, mopping, Dust Busting of random messes.

27. What retro items are in your home? We have a cool, old metal fire engine from the 50s that DH’s dad played with when he was little.

28. Do you have a separate room that you use as an office? Yes, it’s a combo guest room/office. We call it the Air Bed Room because when the kids were little, all we had in here was an airbed for when my mom would stay with us. We now have a proper bed and some office furniture, but it will be forever called the Air Bed Room.

29. How many mirrors are in your home? Five? Three in the bathrooms, a decorative one in our room, and one by the door for those moments of “Oh crap, someone’s at the door. Do I have make=up on?!”

30. Do you have any hidden emergency money around your home? If I did, I wouldn’t tell you.

31. What color are your walls? The living room, kitchen, dining areas are all connected and painted a light golden yellow. The playroom/scrap room that is open and directly off the dining room is the same color, but a shade darker. The bedrooms and bathrooms are varying shades of green and blue. Yeah, we’re not real adventurous with paint colors….

32. Do you keep any kind of protection weapons in your home? Oh, yeah! But they are safely stored, accessible only to the grown-ups.

33. What does your home smell like right now? Same as Jen….Glade Plug-Ins. They make it smell so nice. And DH made pancakes for the kids this morning, so it still kinda smells like that, which I hate. I’m burning a Citrus Sage candle in my office right now.

34. Favorite candle scent? Anything citrus.

35. What kind of pickles (if any) are in your refrigerator right now? I think a jar of dill and a jar of sweet.

36. What color is your favorite Bible? Maroon.

37. Ever been on your roof? No, never will. A guy I used to work with fell off his roof and is now paralyzed. I’m terrified of roofs. I about have a panic attack whenever DH goes up there.

38. Do you own a stereo? Yes, I have my Dad’s old stereo from when he passed but it’s not hooked up. Just sentimental. He was a HUGE music lover.

39. How many TVs do you have? Play room, living room, master. The play room one has no satellite and no channels, it’s just for kid videos and for me to watch videos when I scrap. I just watched Dead Poet’s Society for the eleventy-billionth time the other night.

40. How many house phones? Five. Kitchen, living room, office, bedroom (all cordless) and a corded phone in the garage for when the power goes out.

41. Do you have a housekeeper? I have three! Me, myself, and I.

42. What style do you decorate in? I’d call it a combo of Comfy, Simple, Durable, and I’m Broke.

43. Do you like solid colors in furniture or prints? Mostly solids.

44. Is there a smoke detector in your home? Yes! And lots of Defensible Space. We’re in California Fire Country.

45. In case of fire, what are the items in your house which you’d grab if you only could make one quick trip? My laptop, my purse, scrapbooks, photos, baby and school stuff of the kids.

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Bo Bunny: Delilah, Kitchen Spice, Flutter Butter, Boo Crew, Tis the Season, and St. Nick

Scrapbook ObsessionUpdated on August 17, 2009August 16, 2009

Yep, all of these new Bo Bunny lines from CHA Summer 2009 are now in stock and ready to order at Memory Works! I’ll just give you a tease of each line by showing you the Theme Set, which is an exclusive to Memory Works. You get a set of 5 sheets of double-sided paper and 1 shaped paper for only $6.25. Also, there’s a sample layout or two so you can see each line in action. {Layouts are all from the Bo Bunny website, unknown artist(s)…}

DELILAH by Bo Bunny

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KITCHEN SPICE by Bo Bunny

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FLUTTER BUTTER by Bo Bunny

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BOO CREW by Bo Bunny

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TIS THE SEASON by Bo Bunny

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ST. NICK by Bo Bunny

Aren’t those great?!?! We carry each Theme Set with matching Cut-Outs (journaling tags and accents, 12×12, double sided), Buttons and Bling, iCandy Brads, Combo Stickers (a 12×12 sheet with alpha, swirlies, and such), Rub-Ons, and acrylic stamps.

You can see all of our new Bo Bunny stuff from CHA right HERE. I notice that a few of the items are showing Out of Stock, which either means they haven’t been received yet, or that the item was so popular, it already sold out.

Memory Works, along with other scrapbooking materials distributors, has been struggling recently with the fact that vendors are not able to sustain product availability over the whole season like they used to. This is, of course, due to the downturn in the industry of late. MEMORY WORKS has responded by deciding to issue an additional catalog every year. We all hope this offers better service and more predictability to our customers. It’s very frustrating, I know, to want an item and see that it’s already out of stock, and the manufacturers won’t be able to provide any more to Memory Works. It seems everyone is doing their best to make it all work! Thank you for understanding….

Anyhoo, if you see any items you like, I would encourage you to order soon! Just sayin…. LOL :) Click HERE for more info on ordering, or becoming a Memory Works hobbyist or consultant.

I think my favorite of these new BO BUNNY lines is Flutter Butter. I’m a sucker for that color combination. So pretty and so versatile….beach, outdoors, park, family, just about anything. Which one is your fave?

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Good Grief Blog: Scrapbooking the Loss of a Loved One

Scrapbook ObsessionUpdated on August 16, 2009August 16, 2009

Isn’t it interesting the way God times things in our lives? Giving us just what we need, just when we need it…

I recently posted this layout on my blog, about my Dad who passed away 16 years ago.

In case it’s too small to read, the journaling is simply the lyrics from “THE DANCE” by Garth Brooks:

Looking back
on the memory of
the dance we shared
beneath the stars above.
For a moment
all the world was right.
How could I have known
that you’d ever say goodbye?

And now
I’m glad I didn’t know
the way it all would end,
the way it all would go.
Our lives
are better left to chance.
I could have missed the pain
but I’d have had to miss
the dance.

It’s only the second layout I’ve been able to complete about my dad, even though I’ve been scrapping for 8 years. Doing layouts about him is such a struggle for me. The first one I did was for a Father’s Day challenge at AMR, and the second one {above} was recently done for a Book of Me challenge, also at AMR. Are we seeing a pattern? LOL I only seem to force myself on this issue…if I’m challenged. I’m one of those who didn’t really allow myself to go through the whole grieving process as I should have right after he died. So, here I am 16 years later, STILL kind of avoiding the feelings most of the time. The strange thing is that when I force myself to do these challenge layouts that involve my grief over his loss, I DO feel better afterwards. Part of that is the relief of getting some long pent-up feelings out on paper, and part of it is the encouragement, sympathy, and other heartfelt comments my fellow scrappers make about the layouts. Which I realize are the works of a mediocre scrapper, but do come from an honest place in my heart.

That said…I honestly don’t know when I would’ve done another “Dad” layout in the near future. I’m tellin’ ya’….PAIN. FULL. Full of pain. Right? And Avoidance is my middle name, baby!

Then along comes my homegirl EMILIE at the SCRAP REVIEW {love her for so many reasons; hers is one of the only blogs I make sure to read on a daily basis} to help along with some divine intervention :) She posted THIS about a new blog called GOOD GRIEF. Here is what it’s about, taken from the Good Grief blog:

We here have all experienced a loss. Together, we hope to heal. This site is intended to help in that process…to be a source of inspiration and motivation…and to simply be a place to share and know that others understand. To that end, we (the contributors) have created these scrapbook challenges. For us, scrapbooking about our lost loved ones is therapeutic on many levels. Challenges are completely open…anyone can participate and challenges are very much open to interpretation…take from them whatever helps YOU. Tackle them in whatever format suits you (layouts, mini albums, home decor, anything!). No rules…New challenges and examples will be posted on the 1st and 15th of each month. Between challenges, more in-depth looks at the contributor layouts will be posted. As this site evolves, we hope to add more content between the challenges and will look to you for ideas and suggestions.

And whaddya know? Their first challenge is….USE LYRICS. Bla-dow. DONE. Mwuh. Meant to be. Am I right? So I’m taking this as a sign: My angel, Emilie, was sent to give me the message about Good Grief. And me not being one to ignore angel messages, I will be entering my above layout in their first challenge, and plan to enter more challenges in the future.

Those Good Grief girls are just what I need. Challenge, inspiration, and the knowing of true grief. AMANDA PROBST started the blog ~ You may know her from CREATING KEEPSAKES. When I used to hang out at CKMB, she often posted and I remember when her dad died because, boy oh boy, could I relate to the feelings she was expressing. Like her, I lost my dad suddenly due to an accident, while he was in his 50s, so we are both raising children who are growing up without a Grandpa who should, mathematically speaking, still be here. Amanda was also sweet enough to join us once for Scrap Chat Hour at AMR, back when HER BOOK came out.

So, yeah, it all comes full circle, doesn’t it? I love this online scrapbooking community. It’s full of wonderful women whom I’ve never met in real life, and probably never will, yet they touch my heart in their own little way, at just the right time, with just the right inspiration. God bless them.

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Sassafrass Lass On Location and Grab Box Sale

Scrapbook ObsessionUpdated on August 14, 2009August 14, 2009

Well, you remember how exciting the Pink Paislee GRAB BOX was, right? Here’s another one for ya’….Sass Lass (who, by the way, are now officially called just “Sassafrass”…) is having a big “on location” sale at their office location tomorrow (Saturday, 8-15-09 from 9am to 3pm) and the linkee is HERE. Then, there is an online grab box sale, as requested by their online admirers who don’t happen to live in Utah, LOL. That linkee is HERE. There is no deadline listed, so I assume it’s first come, first served.

HERE is where 2peas is talking about it. HERE is what the AMR girlz have to say. I’m going to pass on this one. I’m making good progress on using the stuff from my Pink Paislee box, and could technically justify another purchase like this. Howevah, I’m not a big enough fan of the Sassafrass lines to be sure that I’d love it all, kwim? I have some Sass Lass stickers from the LSS (Isn’t “Sass Lass” just fun to say? Sass Lass, Sass Lass, Sass Lass….I’m so bummed they changed their name), and one paper pad from Michaels but I’m finding them both hard to use. Just not my usual style, I guess. I love them, think they’re super cute and all – I especially love the frills along the edges of their papers – but some of the prints, I guess, just don’t go with what I typically scrap.

That being said (don’t you hate when they say that EVERY time before they give the nominations for eviction on Big Brother….yeah, yeah, yeah….”that being said,” we know! Get on with the nominations!) … See, I digressed AGAIN! That being SAID, I know that lots of scrappers are huge Sass Lass fans and will dig this sale. Therefore, I LINK YOU. Taa daaaaaahh! Happy shopping.

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Messy Scrap Rooms, Scrapbook Product Trends, and Stamp News

Scrapbook ObsessionUpdated on August 14, 2009August 13, 2009

Tell the truth…Do you qualify to enter the MESSIEST SCRAPBOOK ROOM CONTEST? Deadline is 8-24-09 and you could win a $50 gift certificate.

Check out the TOP BUSINESS TRENDS AT CHA-SUMMER 2009. To sum up the trends: Eco and cheap-o….err, I mean….cheaper! Not cheap as in shoddy, just more affordable to all us broke scrappers, LOL!

I’m so excited for my AMR friend, KELLIANNIE. I’ve bragged about her mad cardmaking skillz many a time, and she’s an awesome illustrator, too, who has gotten into the stampmaking business. At one time, she made her own stamps for sale, and now she’s had designs picked up for manufacture by a major company, UNITY STAMP COMPANY. Her dragonfly stamp is included in USCs August Kit of the Month, which you can order (or just drool over) HERE (hers is #6, the dragonfly on the top right….so pretty!).

Kelli posted about it recently HERE and one of her designs, a double lilac bloom, unbeknownst to her til now, was even at CHA! I tell ya’, there are some big shots hanging out over at AMR. You might want to join up so you can schmooze with them.

Our own JOSCIE CUTCHENS even had a page published in the latest Memory Makers issue. Look for her on page 66. ETA 8-14-09: To clarify, it is the latest and it is the last :(

Speaking of AMR, there will be a SCRAP CHAT HOUR tonight at 8:30 pm CST (that’s 6:30 for you PSTers like me). The topic is sharing scrapbooking tips we’ve learned along the way, so come join us. I’m sure you could teach us, and learn, a thing or four. Also, we have the ongoing BOOK OF ME (aka BOM) project and would love you to join us. Abby gives us layout challenges, we throw around ideas and ask questions, and share our finished layouts. It’s a very good thing to do for yourself….don’t you deserve it?

So, tell me about your messy (or perfectly organized) scrap space, and/or your thoughts on the latest scrapbook trends.

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Layouts from the AMR August Crop

Scrapbook ObsessionUpdated on August 9, 2009August 9, 2009

As I mentioned HERE and HERE, we had a member-hosted, online crop this weekend at the All Moments Remembered message board. There were loads of fun challenges, some RAKs, lots of chatting (some topics of convo: rum, margaritas, and hot men), and a fun and crazy scrapbook bingo game…which I actually won! Kind of by default but you had to be there, LOL! I had a lot of fun chatting, laughing, admiring the wonderful work of other scrappers and cardmakers, and I even got some scrapbooking done! Here are two of the layouts I completed:

** I apologize in advance for the poor quality of my photos. My “real” camera is out of commission, so all I have is my iPhone and they all look blurry….

“Sculpterra” for the “Let’s scrap bingo style” challenge hosted by JULIE aka Scrappin{jewlz}. You probably can’t read the journaling but Sculpterra winery has these amazing sculptures outside by artist JOHN JAGGER. They are made of bronze or granite, and are simply amazing..

2-page layout (sorry it’s so small…if I enlarge it, it gets even more blurry)

Left page…

and right page.

Close up of my favorite flowers, which are 2 layers of shiny silk and then chiffon, with seed beads in the middle. They came in a Memory Works kit last year. I need to look up who makes them and get some more if they’re still available. Love!

I mostly used COSMO CRICKET “Fleuriste” that I’ve had for a while, and stamped the title with a cool new font I found at Walmart by AUTUMN LEAVES. I layered two different colors of COLORBOX chalk Inks.

For the bingo challenge, Julie provided a bingo card you could print out that looked like this:

You then picked 5 boxes in a row – up, down, or diagonal – as requirements for your layout. So, for “Sculpterra,” I used the far righthand vertical row.

3 different stamps: Title, hummingbird, and circles
Journaling strips: To label the photos
1-word title: “Sculpterra”
Ribbons or fibers: Black ribbon under teal flower
At least 5 photos: I’ve got 8!

This challenge was fun to do. The first thing I did was go through the bingo card and cross out things I was NOT going to do (like use butterflies, use only 1 photograph, use paint, handstitch, etc.) and circle anything I for sure wanted to include. In this case, I knew was starting with 8 photos, so I circled use at least 5 photos. Then I just picked the row that made the most sense for this layout. Super cool and creative. Thanks, Julie!

So, that was all I got done for crop challenges so far. The deadline to post layouts/cards isn’t until Wednesday night 8/12/09 at 12 midnight PST. I had to work tonight, but I’m hoping Mon/Tue nights are quiet and I can get some more challenges done. There is one about scrapbooking/you and one about using a neglected stamp that I’d really like to try :)

I decided to use the some of the AMR crop time/motivation/mojo to straighten up my scrap space, and to work on some other layouts. This layout was not crop-related. It was actually to try and get caught up with my Book of Me challenges, like I talked about HERE, {an ongoing challenge also hosted at AMR}. Here was the challenge from ABBY aka ScrapbookFrenzy:

The challenge is to scrap a time in your life or in the span of life in general that you’d like to go back to. You can do it on being a child, about your children like she did, or if you wouldn’t like to go back at all for any reason, scrap about why. Build on this challenge any way you’d like. It’s YOURS and for YOUR album….not mine or any other person’s. {You can read the entire challenge and see a sample layout by STEPHANIE HOWELL right HERE}.

So, here is what I came up with. “Oh, to be….his girl again.”

Almost everything is Pink Paislee from my GRAB BOX (except for some old Scrapworks black letter stickers, and Heidi Swapp white chipboard letters that I used green then turquoise chalk ink to color). Oh, and the “J” is Jenni Bowlin, and the Don’t Forget tag is MME. The Pink Paislee silver rub-ons don’t show up well in photos, so here’s a close-up of he silver border…

… and silver letters that say “Cheated of…” (time).

Here are the lyrics up close so you can read them….

My dad died in 1993 and I still miss being his girl. There is just no one like a girl’s daddy to love her unconditionally, protect her, and be on her side. This is only the second layout I’ve done about my dad since he died 16 years ago, and it was done through tears. {Yep, crying as I type this, too. Crap.} So, I didn’t have it in me to write original journaling this time. Instead, I used song lyrics from a Garth Brooks song that was actually a favorite of mine at the time my dad died. Who knew it would end up applying to me? But I’ve always meant to do a layout about my dad using these lyrics, because every time I hear this song, I still think of him. Every. Single. Time. Oh, to have him back again…but I wouldn’t miss the pain if it meant missing the dance we did share for those years. Miss you, Hippy Dad. Miss you so much…. {Crap, so many tears I can’t see to type…brb}.
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Okay! So, moving on… Hope you had a great weekend and not a super soppy, nose-runny one like I did, LOL! How much scrapping did you get done? Did you join us at the AMR crop? And if not, for God’s sake, WHY??? :) :) :)

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August Crop @ All Moments Remembered

Scrapbook ObsessionUpdated on August 7, 2009August 7, 2009

Like I told ya’, there’s a fun online crop going on all weekend at my scrapbook message board home, ALL MOMENTS REMEMBERED.

As part of the crop, I took this photo and need to go post it over there. Please forgive very much the frizzy, windblown/flattened bangs and tired, “thank GAWD it’s Friday!” look on my face.

Are you wondering why I have to take a photo of myself for an online crop? Guess you’ll just have to come find out, won’t you?

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I Need to Get My Priorities Straight…

Scrapbook ObsessionUpdated on August 7, 2009August 7, 2009

Well, it’s late Thursday night and I just got done watching the finale of So You Think You Can Dance. My whole family voted for Brandon, so we were happy he came in second place at least. I wouldn’t have picked Janeane for the overall winner, but hey, you GO, girl! All those dancers have great careers in front of them.

So, it’s been a hectic summer and I apologize for the lack of posts lately. I’ve been working tons – a regular, 40-hour a week job, plus taking side jobs almost every night. I’m quite exhausted if you must know. All that fun time I used to have at night, cruising scrappy sites for topic ideas and things to link you to? GONZO. I’m hoping things slow down a bit soon, because I really miss my bloggy time. My blog traffic has slowed down, and hardly anyone leaves comments anymore {those who do….mwah! mwah! … I luvs ya!}. I don’t know whether to blame the slowed traffic on summer, Facebook, or I’m boring, LOL!

I have so many ideas percolating, things I want to write about, but just haven’t had the time. There’s all the scrapbook magazine stuff going on, new products from CHA, developments in the world of photography, etc. I’m dying to write a nice long post about digital scrapbooking and photobooking, and how I feel they’re affecting the paper scrapbooking industry (hint: it’s NOT good). And who I blame…

All I have time for tonight is to let you know that this weekend we’re having an online crop at my favorite message board, ALL MOMENTS REMEMBERED. If you’re already a member, I expect to see you there! If you haven’t joined AMR yet, please come over and check it out. The crop runs from Friday at 8am through Sunday at midnight (PST). There are member-hosted challenges (often with a RAK!), a knock-down/drag-out Bingo game, and lots of fun chatting. Hope you can join us!

I plan to be at the online crop throughout the weekend (keep your fingers crossed that I don’t get more work!). I was thinking of driving a couple hours to the San Jose Scrapbook Expo on Saturday, but I don’t know if I should. Don’t have much money to spend, and didn’t really find many “deals” the last time I went. I’m not sure if it’s worth the drive and taking the entire day. Hey, I could be home online cropping, ya know? We shall see…

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Memory Works: Amazing Deal on Cosmo Cricket Stamps

Scrapbook Obsession August 6, 2009August 6, 2009

These stamps are the latest addition to the MEMORY WORKS section called Steals and Deals. You get all 3 sets for only $7.50, which is amazing. I mean, $2.50 for each whole set of acrylic stamps…sweet. They usually retail for $13 each, so you’re getting $39 worth of stamps for $7.50 (that’s 81% off!).

They are from the Cosmo Cricket lines called MR. CAMPY, HAUNTED, and JACK’S WORLD. When I was just over at Cosmo Cricket’s own WEBSITE, I see that they sell these stamps for $11.99 a set (which would still be $36 total vs. $7.50).

HERE is a link if you’d like to order them.

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Shopping Report: Target, Walmart, Michaels, and Big Lots

Scrapbook Obsession August 3, 2009August 3, 2009

I was “oot and uh-boot” Friday evening and did some fun shopping in between the grocery shopping and getting gas drudgery. Here is a report on my adventures, as far as scrappy stuff I found….

Target: Nothing. Same old stuff they’ve had for a while. Nothing on sale. Nothing to report. Oh, except I got the new CK there.

Been chillaxin’ around the house this weekend with it, and am LOVING IT! Such a great issue, chock full of layouts and techniques, as a SCRAPBOOKING magazine should be (unlike….cough, cough….SCRAPBOOKS ETC…..traitor….cough, cough)…

Walmart: Still have a lot of stuff on Clearance. The Cricut carts for $30 each were pretty tempting but I resisted. Not that flush right now. But this is what I bought there on clearance a couple weeks ago and they still have pretty much the same stuff as when I shopped then….

Michaels: So I had two coupons in hand: a 40% off that expired that day, and a 50% off that expires Monday (which is odd, but who am I to complain?). I cruised the aisles quite a bit trying to find something coupon worthy.

There was some new (to me, at least) bling kits, the I-Top brad maker by Imaginesce, and some metal embellishments by Making Memories.

I had the metal snowflakes with bling in my hand, but put them back. Maybe another time, another coupon…

As much as I loved all these new acrylic stamps,….

… and they weren’t on sale so I could’ve gotten a set for 1/2 off, I resisted their magnetic pull with some motivating self-talk…”Just snap some quick photos for the blog. Remain objective. You do NOT like acrylic stamps. You do not NEED acrylic stamps. They hold no meaning for you. No, Erika, not even that adorable set with the butterfly. And, no, you don’t need any more alpha stamps….the 170 sets you have at home are quite enough. Okay, you took the photos, now keep walking. No, don’t pet them. ERIKA!! Hand off the pretty stamps. Good. Now walk away. Dit! Don’t look back over your shoulder. Look! Pretty bling! Let’s go over there!” See, my friends, THAT … is how it’s done.

I found this endcap full of cute, 12×12 postbound albums by Recollections (the Michaels brand).

There were some really cute styles to choose from. They were jam-packed on the shelves like 20 circus clowns in a Mini Cooper. It was hard to get a good look at them all without a struggle, pulling out the first 2 or 3 in each row to see what was behind them. {I tried to peek in the sides but there were other racks blocking my access…hmph}. Many albums that I pulled out had bent corners on either the album itself or the pages (I assume, the result of beingsotightlyshelved….poor babies couldn’t breathe…). I made sure to pick out two unbent ones :) {I get doubles to use as yearly family albums because I scrap too much to get everything into one}. As you can see, the shelf stickers said $9.99 and a sign up top said 40% off. I asked myself, “Self, does that mean they are 40% off of $10, making them a mere $6 each?” And then I answered myself with, “Oh, Self, no! That would be too good to be true. Even Michaels wouldn’t run a deal THAT good!” But I, myself, was …. WRONG! Cuz they rang up at the register as 6 bucks, baby! Did my everlovin’, deal seakin’, penny pinchin’ heart good, it did.

Right inside the front door, they had the rack that usually says “Designer Scrapbooking” but it was full of Clearance items.

From there, I got these Making Memories “Black Tie” white pearlized letter stickers for $2 marked down from $4. For full coupon maximization, I grabbed these Martha Stewart chalk inks from Clearance (for the 50% off) and some Herma tab refills (for the 40% off). However, the register wouldn’t allow the coupon to be used on the inks because they were already on sale. I said, “I thought you just couldn’t use coupons on weekly sale items, but it’s okay if they’re Clearance or Reduced or whatever?” and she thought so too, so she read the coupon. Yep, there in the teensy weensy fine print it said something like, “Not for use on previously marked down items.” Crud. Oh well, I took the inks anyway…they were still 30% off. And the 40% off coupon worked on the Herma tabs.

So, I got two 12×12 albums, Herma tab refills, a stack of chalk inks, and two sets of letter stickers for $30, which I could’ve paid for just one album. Happy me.

Big Lots: Happy? Not so much. When I first turned into the scrapbooking aisle, my eyes lit up because I immediately noticed that the inventory of Thickers had gotten much larger. Yippie skip! (HERE is where I talked about my bad luck with Thickers @ BL). But I was to be disappointed again. There were tons of the shapes ones, one pack of red felt and tons of the naked chipboard ones (which I already got last time), and that was it. They had the K&Co embellishment stickers that the Peas were talking about HERE, but none I had to have.

I thought some of you might be interested in these, so I took a pic for ya….

Great deal and very cute! I love the prints on the inside, don’t you?

Well, those were my latest shopping/window shopping adventures. What kinda scrappy stuff have you found lately at Target, Walmart, Michaels, and Big Lots? Would love to hear in Comments, and feel free to link to your blog if you’ve posted about ’em.